New system launched to retain highly skilled employees across advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors

New system launched to
retain highly skilled employees across advanced manufacturing and
engineering sectors

News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 13 July 2011

A new national web
based system, Talent Retention Solution (TRS), will help match
skilled employees facing redundancy to UK companies in growing
sectors of advanced manufacturing and engineering who are
recruiting, Minister for Business Mark Prisk announced today.

The easy to use system comes as a result of work undertaken by
the Skills and Jobs Retention Group (SJRG) and Semta (the Sector
Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing
Technologies) to support defence engineers who may be struggling
to find work in today’s difficult economic climate.

Business and Semta are providing in kind funding for staff
resources to support TRS implementation and the UK Commission for
Employment and Skills (UKCES) have awarded £450,000 under the
Employer Investment Fund. The system is business led and will be
fully funded by business from January 2012.

Following a short implementation phase, TRS will become fully
operational by January 2012, when it is expected that over 1500
employers across the UK will have signed up to the system, ranging
from large organisations in each sector to the smallest SMEs. The
system will provide live data broken down by skills and geography.

Manufacturing and engineering companies which have already signed
up to the system and who are recruiting over the coming year
include Rolls Royce (1000), Siemens (500), Nissan (200) and Airbus
(600). Supply chain companies will also be able to use the system
for redeployment and recruitment.

Launching TRS, Minister for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk said:

"The defence sector makes a substantial contribution to
the country’s skills economy through high value jobs and as a key
sponsor of apprenticeships and training. This easily accessible
web based system will play a vital role in ensuring that these
skills are not lost by redeploying highly skilled workers into
growing sectors of advanced manufacturing such as automotive,
energy, infrastructure and aerospace.”

Allan Cook, Chairman of Semta and the SJRG, said:

“The UK operates in a competitive international market. Success
in these markets is dependent upon providing the best products,
services and solutions for their clients. We rely totally on
highly skilled staff to design, develop and produce these products
and services. It is imperative for future success and economic
growth that we do all that we can to retain, recruit and motivate
our employees within the advanced engineering and manufacturing sectors.

“This new web based talent retention system will assist
businesses in the high growth engineering and manufacturing sector
to recruit the staff they need to compete successfully in the
international market.”

At present the demand for skilled engineers far exceeds supply.
TRS will complement existing commercial recruitment activity by
creating a talent pool of skilled defence employees who need
redeployment. The intention is to then expand the scope of the
system so that it can redeploy skilled employees from across the
advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors and will be an
important tool in situations where large scale redundancies are occurring.

Notes to Editors

1. Allan Cook is chairman of W S Atkins, SELEX Galileo, Semta,
Deputy Chairman of Marshalls and Chairman of the UKTI Advanced
Engineering Advisory Board. He has widespread experience of
defence and wider manufacturing, is widely respected throughout
industry and is a passionate advocate for skills.

2. The SJRG was set up to ensure that wherever possible talented
individuals leaving the defence industry can be retained within
the UK's advanced manufacturing sector.

3. The Talent Retention Solution website is targeted at companies
and organisations across the advanced manufacturing and
engineering sectors. It will initially be focused on defence
employees seeking redeployment and companies who are recruiting.
It can be found at: http://www.talentretention.biz

4. Semta estimates that around 205,000 jobs will need to have
been filled in the AME sectors between 2010 and 2016 to replace
people who retire and to meet demand from fast growing industries.

5. BIS's online newsroom contains the latest press
notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It
also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts.
See: http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom
for more information.

6. Leading companies, trade associations and Trade Unions across
the spectrum of advanced manufacturing are supporting the
implementation of TRS.